Epica laugh at Phantom Agony

But singer Simone describes debut album as "naive" –but insists she wouldn't have band's evolution any other way

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Epica singer Simone Simons admits she laughs when she listens to the band's 2003 debut album The Phantom Agony.

But she’s proud of their evolution over the past 11 years, and insists she wouldn’t change any step of their musical progress.

Simons tells CrypticRock: “When I listen back to the first record I laugh, because we sound so young and naive. But it also had something magical about it – many fans says it’s their favourite Epica record, even though we don’t sound like that any more.”

The Dutch outfit’s sonic changes have mirrored their personal ones. “We’ve added new band members who have contributed to the sound,” she says. “The goal for each record is to be better than the previous record.”

The approach has led them to sixth full-length outing The Quantum Enigma, released last month via Nuclear Blast. Simons says: “We decided to use more Asian melodies – that’s a new element and I find it refreshing.”

But she believes each album means as much to the band as it does to the fans. “Everyone has their own special memories attached to each record – I have the same,” she notes.

Epica are currently touring Europe in support of The Quantum Enigma, and return to the UK on December 6 for a show at the Forum in London.